


The First Date From Dust

by irishfino



Series: We Rise From Dust [2]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M, Gen, hr pines for iris west, westwells
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-14
Updated: 2017-05-14
Packaged: 2018-10-31 13:24:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10900242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/irishfino/pseuds/irishfino
Summary: The twins arrive early. HR, a man with infinite time on his hands, helps the West family by filling the gaps when needed. Three years later he realizes he's in deep.





	The First Date From Dust

                HR is there when Iris goes into labor prematurely. He panics in the waiting room as the doctors do everything they can to stall her labor and reseal the amniotic sack surrounding one twin. The boy one, probably, boys are trouble, he had joked. Iris huffed a tired laugh as she was wheeled away into surgery. HR tries to keep everyone’s spirits up in the waiting room, but it’s hard when there’s a grandfather, uncle, godfather – it was on Barry’s wishlist for the future –, and godfather’s visiting girlfriend. He’s just HR, championship cheerleader and spirit raiser. Until the third hour passes with no word from the doctors. The clock strikes midnight. Joe has gone through three pots of coffee on his own. HR has absolutely decimated the available coffee from the nurses’ station. Cisco’s left leg won’t stop bouncing. Cindy quietly nurses a cold cup of coffee. Half past midnight a doctor appears, clean and shiny, but straight from surgery. The twins were born in the extremely early hours of Halloween.

                Little Donovan and little Dawn are the smallest babies HR has ever seen. He could easily hold them both in the palms of his hands. They’re lively, though, sleeping and fussing and trying to latch. The doctors find it strange that they are so active, but determine it’s a good sign. Iris holds them first and for as long as she can while they’re in the neonatal intensive care unit. They have tiny tubes going into their tiny noses and tiny needles piercing the tiniest veins possible. Tiny leads cover their tiny chests and tummies, a tiny heartbeat monitor is clipped to tiny big toes. HR, of course, gives up his spot when Pawpaw or Unc show up to spend time with the tiny ones or Iris.

                Spending his days in the hospital with Iris as she recovers puts a strain on his relationship with Tracy. He likes her, he cares for her, but he has a self-imposed obligation to Iris and her children. He’s not a smart man, but he’s not dumb enough to leave a newly – widowed isn’t the right word, but she’s very much so a widow – widowed mother of two newborns who are in the NICU for a few months at least. He’d never forgive himself when he has all the time in the world to put to good use. It’s almost a relief when she breaks up with him a month later. She’s destined for greater things, anyway. And they’re still friends, so that’s a nice perk.

                Iris returns to work two months later. The medical bills will probably bankrupt her and she’ll have to sell the loft, but it’s better to try and negotiate with the hospital and her insurance company than to give up the ghost before she’s barely begun recovering from everything. HR spends his time in the hospital with the twins. When he’s not with them, he’s spinning epic tales of heroes and villains and adding a few steamier elements to the adventures. Sometimes, he sleeps.

                The twins are released in mid-December on, arguably, the coldest day of the year so far. They hate everything about the trip home and are sure to raise a fuss about the entire process. Their perfectly healthy lungs can sure hold a lot of air to scream with. They settle down once Joe’s car starts the trip home.

                Iris is allowed one week off from work to settle in to a new routine. She doesn’t press for more time. Her work gives her enough to keep her busy and avoid thinking about everything that has happened so quickly the last few months. HR, naturally, offers to help. He rejects an offer of payment and brings his own coffee. He doesn’t want to increase Iris’ burden and, if his publishing deal works out, he’ll be able to quietly pay off her and the twins’ medical bills. It’s amazing this country still doesn’t have a single payer system, but, he supposes, not everywhere can be as advanced as Earth-19.

                One year later sees Iris accepting a Pulitzer on her exposé on the treatment of metahumans near and far, their struggle to be accepted, those that hide, and those born to metahuman parents who display new and amazing abilities unique to them. The twins have no idea what it means, too busy walking and learning to talk and climbing things and dusting their faces with flour. Iris tells Barry all about it when she visits his grave. He’s right next to his parents where he belongs.

                It’s not until their third birthday that the twins begin exhibiting Speedster abilities. Little Donnie ran through a wall while throwing a fit over bedtime. Little Dawnie’s chocolate syrup didn’t mix with her milk well enough for her. She vibrated the glass until it was deliciously chocolatey. Unckie Wally is tasked with teaching the twins a bit of control, but they’re three years old and just not that easy. They wreak havoc and run circles around everyone, speed or not. Wally handles them when they’re speedy, HR handles them when they’re hyperactive, and Joe handles them either way when he’s not exhausted from police work. Iris is there when not working, of course, and she giggles in the background unless things get a little out of hand. Like the time the kids got a little crazy running around the lower level of the loft and knocked Barry’s snowglobe off the bookshelf. It took a diving HR to save it, though his head was a little sore from it hitting him right on the crown.

                It’s not until Iris goes on her first date since everything happened that HR realizes his feelings for Iris run a little deeper than platonic. But, oh, that red dress she’s wearing! It hugs every curve, some new, some old, and _wow_. And those black high heels. Gods, she already has a very nice set of buttocks, but, hoo boy could she make a man bite his knuckle to keep from shouting what a blessing that ass really is.

                “ _Wow_ , Iris,” he breathes. “What lucky guy gets to take you out for a night on the town?”

                She grins and does a little twirl. HR raises his left fist to his mouth and bites the second knuckle on his index finger. Iris laughs at the gesture and brushes a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

                “Scott,” she replies. “From work.”

                He spits out his finger. “Oh. Is he still your boss, because that could get a little –” He waves his hand side to side horizontally to indicate his uncertainty.

                She tilts her chin up and grins. “I might have a little more influence than he does, what with my Pulitzer and all.”

                “Well, you look great,” he says with a smile. “Are you planning on returning this evening or should I –”

                “HR!” she gasps dramatically.

                “What? If I was him, I would try.”  
  
                “It’s the first date, HR.”

                “I would really, really try.”

                “Because I look slammin’ or because you’re desperate?”

                He clasps a hand over his heart in dramatic fashion. “Right in the heart, Miss West, but I ask you, who wouldn’t be desperate to lay down with a ‘slammin’’ lady like yourself?”

                “Almost saved it,” she laughed.

                “Almost! Darn. I’ll try harder next time.”

                “I’m sure you will.”

                He sends her off with a good luck grin and a thumbs up. He may have also slipped a condom into her purse. Just in case. She could use a good time from a gentlemanly fellow. If Scott’s the type. Some part of him hopes that she comes back and tosses the prophylactic in his face with a laugh and a stern finger. Oh well. Time to check on the children and make sure they’re not out of bed yet. They’ll wake up for warm milk or a story soon enough. Who in the multiverse thought Speedster children were a good idea?


End file.
